Find out how popular the last name Malerba is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Malerba.

Malerba, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Malerba surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Malerba in America

Malerba is the 47272nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Malerba surname appeared 449 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Malerba.

We can also compare 2010 data for Malerba to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Malerba

The surname Malerba is of Italian origin, originating in the southern regions of Italy, particularly in Campania and Basilicata. It is derived from the Italian word "malva," which means "mallow," a type of herbaceous plant belonging to the Malvaceae family. This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who cultivated or traded in mallow plants during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Malerba can be traced back to the 14th century in various Italian municipal and ecclesiastical records. The spelling variations encountered in these historical documents include Malerba, Malerva, and Malerbo, reflecting the regional dialects and phonetic adaptations of the name over time.

One notable historical reference to the name Malerba is found in the "Codice Diplomatico Barese," a collection of documents related to the city of Bari, dating back to the 12th century. This work mentions a certain "Petrus Malerba" who was a landowner and prominent figure in the region during that period.

In the 15th century, records from the Archivio di Stato di Napoli (State Archives of Naples) mention a "Giovanni Malerba," who was a merchant involved in the trade of textile goods and spices. This indicates that the name was associated with various occupations and economic activities during the Renaissance period.

Among the notable individuals bearing the surname Malerba throughout history are:

1. Giacomo Malerba (1532-1597), an Italian architect and engineer who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in Naples, including the Palazzo Reale.

2. Luigi Malerba (1600-1670), an Italian painter from the Baroque period, known for his religious works and portraits commissioned by the Catholic Church and noble families.

3. Antonio Malerba (1700-1768), an Italian composer and violinist active in the early classical period, who served as the music director at the Basilica di San Pietro in Vatican City.

4. Francesca Malerba (1825-1892), an Italian feminist and activist who played a significant role in advocating for women's rights and education in the late 19th century.

5. Luigi Malerba (1927-2008), a renowned Italian writer, novelist, and playwright who was awarded the prestigious Strega Prize for his literary contributions in 1963.

While the surname Malerba has its origins in southern Italy, it has since spread to other regions of the country and beyond, carried by individuals and families who migrated or established themselves in different parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Malerba

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Malerba.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Malerba was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Malerba has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Malerba was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Malerba, please contact us.

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